The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-07-25
POWER OF THE SOCIALISTS.
How it Manifests Itself at Public Meet
ings in New York.

ingS in New York.
New YORK, July-23.-At public meet
ing held recently in Cooper Union to pro-
test against the sunptuary laws, the Hon.
Ashbel P. Fitch, Republican Congressman,
was chosen chairman. Mr.. Fitch, although
attorney for nearly all the New York brew4
ers, is, nevertheless, considerable of au arts
! tocrat, and is connected among the blue
blooded leaders of the Republican party in
the city. He is therefore known to abhor
! Henry George, Socialism and Anarchy.
! Printed lists of Vice Presidents, which
were distributed in the hail. contained more
than fifty names of prominent New York
ers, each one of whom. like Mr.. Fitch, was
a supporter of the present social condition
! and opposed to all revolutionary doctrines.
Among them were Mayor Hewitt, Carl
! Schurz, Roscoe Conkling, Charles A. Dana,
Oswald Ottendorfer, and many Others equal
! ly well known. Hardly one, however, was
/ present
The hall was packed, even the aisles being
| filled, despite the efforts of Capt. McCul-
lagh's police to keep them clear 1t seemed
| as though New York was at last thoroughly
aroused on the subject of beer, and that the
old blue laws would have to be wiped out.
Before the meeting had proceeded very far,
however, it was clearly demonstrated that
the majority of the audience cared but very
! little about the question mooted by the
| chairman, but was determined to show its
| antipathy, not only for a great many
! other laws, but also for a number
OF the honorable gentlemen whose names
figured in the list of Vice Presidents.
A telegram from Col. Fellows, of the Dis
| trict Attorneys office, was received with
storm of Kisses. The reading of the names
OF Oswald Ottendorfer and Judge Barrett
brought forth deafening chorus of cat
calls, groans and derisive cries. All the eff
forts of the Chairman, iudiciously backed
by brass band, could not drown these I'M
ruly demonstrations Several times he was
| himself greeted with remarks of an uncOm-
plimentary nature. Mr. Fitch is reputed to
be shrewd, persuasive and polished. He
certasnly combined the three character
istics in his endeavor to quiet the crowd on
this occasion. But he might just as well
have attempted to keep back an approach
ing cyclone as to oppose his force against
the voice of the majority of the audience,
When it came to the speaking his choice
of speakers was ruthiessy disregarded.
The first We're well received, but the APP
pearance upon the stage of M. SchevitCh,
the Socialist, and his confreres, John Nc
Macbin and Ed King, was the signal for
thunders of applause that completely 81
fenced the chairman's chosen orators. There
after the audience named the speakers and
no one else was allowed to be heard. The
choice of the audience showed its bent. The
new speakers denounced the blue laws, to
be sure but so they did some Others with
which the former speakers were in accord.
| They even denounced some of the previous
speakers, and made it evident that while
the question OF beer was very important, it
was only drop in the bucket compared to
the great and only question: Socialism.
The chairman, after listening i'll despair to
long TRADES against his wealthy clients,
made his shrewdest move of the evening,
and declared the meeting adjourned.
The above event might seem of little i'm
portance were it not that it is a type of
many meetings held during the past six
months 1t had been announced and extern
sively advertised in the newspapers as a
meeting to be held for specific purpose.
Naturally it would be supposed that the
audience would be composed of persons
favorable to that purpose. 1t was subject
of popular interest
Why did the majority of the audience
prove to be indifferent to this subject and
change the character of the gatheringl
Because the Socialists saw here an oppor-
tunlty to promulgatc their own doctrines
and give their strongest opponent
direct blow III the face The
same thing has been done frequently
of late and will be done again.
The fact is that although there may not be
enough Socialists in New York TO accom-
plsh any revolutionary extremes, there are
enough TO form disturbing element. There
are also enough to control any public meet
ing, and they are sufficiently in accord with
each other, and well enough disciplined to
overcome any expression of dissent on the
part of the minority. They understand
their power and they intend to use it. 1t
will be well for their opponents to recognize
this and devise some means to successfully
combat it, CHARLES J. ROsEBAULT.